A Real Post... Do You Agree With Advice?

I have absorbed a LOT of info from you guys' and appreciate it all.

My recent Oatmeal stout partial mash reviewed as follows:

"tastes good - this is a stout?"
"This is good, you brewed this? is it supposed to be thicker?"

any-who I think the word is that my beer lacks viscosity?

point blank it tastes like a slightly watered down version of a dam fine beer.

QUESTION: for the repeat batch should I add Maltodextrine 8 oz., and Muntons Amber DME 1 lb.

Thanks guys:

Joe in Stafford, VA

I'd be curious to see the recipe before knowing what to add in. You didn't happen to use any simple sugars in it, did you? Table sugar, corn sugar, honey... that sort of thing? Other than what you primed with for carbonation, I mean.

I agree that more info must be had to help you. A few things in particular can affect your mouth feel in your beer. Besides ingredients, what was your mash temps.? A cooler longer mash will give you more fermentables giving you a lighter, less "chunky" beer. A hotter mash will result in a faster saccharification conversion, but will leave behind more dextrins giving the perception of more mouth feel and raising your final gravity. You can take the exact same recipe and mash it at different temperatures, and have two distinctly different brews.

The problem with the term "Oatmeal Stout" is that everyone assumes it should be a rich, luscious, thick beer. That's not always the case. They can be very dry. If you want to increase the mouthfeel and give some body, mash a 1/2 pound of carapils along with a 1/2 pound of the malto you mentioned. That should thicken it up quite bit.

I brewed the partial mash "talking goat" Oatmeal stout from Annapolis home Brew....

hate to sound like a newbee but I don't know what else to say?

thanks, Joe

If it's the stout on this page:

AHB Beer Recipe Kits - DARK COLORED BEERS

It's only 4.1% ABV, so I'd say your results are pretty typical. A high percentage of alcohol is not going to give more body and flavor to the beer, but the malt it takes to get there will.